July Turtleneck. My last day in Porto Alegre: Part four and the last entry about my trip to southern Brazil.

Our last day in Porto Alegre was cold. I bundled up the best I could but never did feel adequately layered. Luckily, it was bright and sunny but the wind made the chill enter deep. What I needed was long underwear. If I ever go to this part of the world again during their winter; you can be assured, two sets will be packed. It's that kind of freezing feel when in San Francisco in August or even here in Fort Lauderdale when it gets down below 50.

Raphael and I took a cab to the Public Market and had lunch. The structure was a marvelous neoclassical edifice built in 1869. It reminded me of a much scaled down St. Peterburg's Winter Palace. It has around 100 stores and stores. Numerous fish purveyors, produce vendors, restaurants and fruit shops were present. A well known ice-cream parlour was popular but had little appeal with the brisk air temperature. Upstairs, a vast eating area assembled several restaurants that came together to make a robust dining experience. Most of the light was natural from an atrium design.

We ate lunch in a famous old place that looked like it went back at least 100 years. It reminded me a bit of some old New York restaurants. We had tasty steaks with sunny side up eggs on top.

After our meal, we walked around and I took a lot of pictures. At one point we ducked into a cheap clothing store so I could buy a turtleneck. It helped with my layering but it was apparent a parka was what I desired. As we moved about, we found ourselves in the nerve center of downtown Porto Alegre. There were droves of people everywhere and all were bundled up. The walking mall (called Rua da Praia ) was like a breezy canyon with tall buildings on both sides. Some great architecture graced the street. Early on I had to decide that I would only be able to take a smattering of pictures because the amount of subject matter would be too much.

Raphael stopped and bought a pair of shoes and then we strolled to Claudia's restaurant to warm up and get a bite to eat. It felt great to get into her cozy nest and have a hot cup of coffee. Feeling rejuvenated, we continued our downtown journey and passed a variety of cool residential buildings that dated from the 30s into the 60s. It was a pleasure to look upon them as most had not been marred by graffiti.

It was along this stretch that we passed all of the military headquarters for the city. Uniformed sentries stood outside as we passed. We saw several handsome soldiers, pilots and naval guys. I wanted to take pictures but was too intimidated. Across the way was a commanding white cathedral with a tremendous amount of steps leading up to its doors.

When we got to the end of the street we entered another art museum that was housed in an old electric works building. The place was huge inside. We viewed a few galleries and then walked outside to the river. The sun was in its last hour and it warmed us as we stood in its glow. We would have stayed to watch it set but we had to get back to Claudia's and do our packing and prepare for the last night in town.

We stayed in our last evening. Claudia made us scrumptious edibles and we sat huddled near the fireplace. We watched TV and enjoyed our last hours together. Claudia and Naiara's rather disagreeable Shih Tzu, Shimoky , continued to hump her soiled, fluffy bear into the night. The dog had been fixed years before but it didn't stop her from being a compulsive rapist of stuffed animals.

Eventually after filling up on several plates of Brazilian snacks, I turned in. We would get up around 3:30 to be at the airport by 4:30. I was exhausted and I knew the bed was the warmest place in the flat. I said my goodbyes to Naiara as I would not see her in the early AM. Raphael stayed up and watched TV and I drifted away quickly.

The next morning Claudia walked us downstairs to wait for our cab. We hugged and kissed goodbye in the frigid, early morning air. It was 33 degrees but felt like 15. The cab picked us up and whisked us away to the airport. The little Renault blasted heat and I was in heaven. The trip to the airport was fairly quick. We would fly out by a little after 6. Our in-flight TAM experience was not as comfortable as the trip down. The return plane was a bit older and more cramped. I had a periodic snorer behind me and a woman to my left who liked to speak loudly in Portuguese about what rides she would jump on at Disney World.

I never thought I would be so happy to be back in a sweaty, heavy Florida day. When we walked outside to get our car at Miami International, it must have been well over 90. My bones relaxed and I sucked in the swelter.

In the coming days, I would ponder my week in southern Brazil. The experience seeped in quite strongly. I liked it down there....as long as you have an emergency Snuggie in July. It was a complicated place with a lot of decay yet showed promise with a stable, independent economy not vulnerable to the world's economic conundrums. They didn't experience the economic collapse that many countries were weathering. Brazil employed its own people...made their own shoes and jeans and didn't outsource like the U.S. Their middle class was emerging quickly and there was a sense of hope. A presence of energy was pervasive. Of course, I live with a part of Brazil every day: Raphael. He embodies that spirit. Through him, I understand it more and more.

I would look forward to my next trip back. I just hope Bruno is locked up.